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Sigismund's Column

52°14′50.31″N 21°00′48.3″E / 52.2473083°N 21.013417°E / 52.2473083; 21.013417

Sigismund's Column
Kolumna Zygmunta
Map
LocationWarsaw, Poland
DesignerClemente Molli
MaterialBronze, granite
Completion dateNovember 24, 1644; 380 years ago (November 24, 1644)
Dedicated toSigismund III Vasa
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, vi
Designated1980
Part ofHistoric Centre of Warsaw
Reference no.30bis
Designated1994-09-08
Part ofWarsaw – historic city center with the Royal Route and Wilanów
Reference no.M.P. 1994 nr 50 poz. 423[1]

Sigismund's Column (Polish: Kolumna Zygmunta), originally erected in 1644, is located at Castle Square, Warsaw, Poland and is one of Warsaw's most famous landmarks as well as the first secular monument in the form of a column in modern history.[2] The column and statue commemorate King Sigismund III Vasa, who in 1596 had moved Poland's capital from Kraków to Warsaw. It is part of the Historic Centre of Warsaw, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.[3]

On the Corinthian column which used to be of red marble and is 8.5 m (28 ft) tall, a sculpture of the King, 2.75 m (9 ft) tall, in archaized armour is placed.[4] Sigismund's Column now stands at 22 m (72 ft) and is adorned by four eagles. The king is dressed in armour, carries a cross in one hand and wields a sword in the other.[5]

History

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17th century

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Construction of the Sigismund's Column, detail of the 1646 engraving by Willem Hondius.

Erected between 1643 and 1644, the column was constructed on the orders of Sigismund's son and successor, King Władysław IV Vasa. It was designed by the Italian-born architect Constantino Tencalla and the sculptor Clemente Molli and was cast by Daniel Tym.[6][7]

Sigismund's Column was modelled on the Italian column-shaped monuments in front of Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, erected in 1614 to designs of Carlo Maderno, and on the Column of Phocas in Rome[6] (Władysław Vasa had seen both of them during his visit to Rome in 1625). The King was portrayed in an archaized armour and a richly decorated coronation robe. He wears a crown holding in his right hand a sabre and supports with his left hand a Latin cross, which stands on the column's socle. His right leg is placed on a helmet embellished with ostrich feathers while the Order of the Golden Fleece is depicted on the monarch's chest.[8]

The monument was supposed to symbolize royal virtues and to represent both the secular and sacral nature of royal power.[9] The erection of the column primarily served political purposes as it glorified the House of Vasa and further strengthened the king's power and influence. That is why it was located at the square right in front of the Kraków Gate, the most important communication route of the capital at the time.[10]

The column was ceremonially unveiled on 24 November 1644.[11] It provoked a conflict between King Władysław IV and papal nuncio Mario Filonardi, who protested against the fact that the figure of a secular person was depicted on the monument. Traditionally, only the figures of Christ, Virgin Mary and saints could be revered in this way.[12]

In 1681, the monument was surrounded with a wooden fence, which was later replaced with a permanent iron fence.

18th and 19th centuries

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The marble column itself was renovated several times in the next few centuries, most notably in 1743, 1810, 1821 and 1828. In 1854, the monument was surrounded with a fountain featuring marble tritons sculpted by the German, August Kiss.[6]

In 1863, the column was renovated again under the supervision of architect Józef Orłowski.[13] The monument still needed work, and between 1885 and 1887, it was replaced with a new column of granite.[6] Between 1927 and 1930, the monument was again renovated and was restored to its original appearance when the fountain and the fence around it were removed.[citation needed]

 
Toppled statue, 1945

20th century

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On 1 September 1944, during the Warsaw Uprising, the monument's column was demolished by the Germans, and its bronze statue was badly damaged.[5][6] The damaged statue was transported on a sleigh to St. Anne's Church.[14] In the spring of 1945, it was displayed at the National Museum in Warsaw in an exhibition titled Warsaw Accuses (Polish: Warszawa oskarża).[15]

In 1945, Henryk Golański established a special committee whose objective was to restore the monument.[16] The statue was eventually repaired, and in 1949, it was set up on a new column, made of granite from the Strzegom mine, a couple of metres from the original site.[4] The original broken pieces of the column can still be seen lying next to the Royal Castle.[citation needed] In 1965, the column was officially inscribed on the country's register of historical monuments.[17] In the same year, the column was depicted on a 10-zloty commemorative coin issued by the National Bank of Poland on the 700th anniversary of Warsaw.[18]

The inscription

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On the side of the pedestal facing the Krakowskie Przedmieście is a plaque bearing these words in the finest lettering:[19]

HONORI·ET·PIETATI

SACRAM·STATVAM·HANC·SIGISMVNDO·III·VLADISLAVS·IV
NATURA·AMORE·GENIO·FILIVS
ELECTIONE·SERIE·FELICITATE·SVCCESSOR
VOTO·ANIMO·CVLTV·GRATVS
PATRI·PATRIAE·PARENTI·OPT: MER: ANNO·DNI·MDCXLIII PONI·IVSSIT·CVI·IAM
GLORIA·TROPHEVM·POSTERITAS·GRATITVDINEM
AETERNITAS·MONVMENTVM·POSVIT·AVT·DEBET

The inscription on the bronze plate of the column:

"King Sigismund III, by virtue of free election King of Poland, by virtue of inheritance, succession and law - King of Sweden, in love of peace and fame the first among kings, in war and victories not inferior to anyone, took prisoners of Tsar and Moscow chiefs, he conquered the capital and lands [of Moscow], defeated the Russian army, regained Smolensk, broke the power of Turkey near Khotyn, ruled for forty-four years, in the forty-fourth king"

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Original

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  •  
    1644–1887
  •  
    1887–1944
  •  
    Both pieces of the column in 2021

18th century

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20th century

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See also

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References

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In-line:
  1. ^ Zarządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 8 września 1994 r. w sprawie uznania za pomnik historii., M.P., 1994, vol. 50, No. 423
  2. ^ "Kolumna Zygmunta III Wazy w Warszawie". Culture.pl. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Historic Centre of Warsaw". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Column of King Zygmunt III Vasa". eGuide / Treasures of Warsaw on-line. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
  5. ^ a b "Sigismund's Column". Destination Warsaw. The Warsaw Voice. 23 April 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Kolumna Zygmunta III Wazy". sztuka.net (in Polish). Archived from the original on 19 May 2006. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
  7. ^ "Kolumna Zygmunta". Warszawa za Wazów (in Polish). Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
  8. ^ Łoziński, Jerzy; Rottermund, Andrzej (1993). Katalog zabytków sztuki. Miasto Warszawa. Część I – Stare Miasto [A Catalogue of Art Objects: The city of Warsaw. Part I.] (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Artystyczna i Filmowe. p. 410. ISBN 83-221-0628-9.
  9. ^ Karpowicz, Mariusz (1986). Sztuka Warszawy [The Art of Warsaw] (in Polish). Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. p. 118. ISBN 83-01-04060-2.
  10. ^ Gieysztor, Aleksander; Durko, Janusz (1980). Warszawa. Jej dzieje i kultura [Warsaw: Its History and Culture.] (in Polish). Warsaw: Arkady. p. 86. ISBN 83-213-2958-6.
  11. ^ "Column of Sigismund III Vasa in Warsaw". culture.pl. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  12. ^ Samsonowicz, Hanna (1998). Historyczne centrum Warszawy [The Historic Center of Warsaw] (in Polish). Warsaw: Biblioteka Towarzystwa Opieki nad Zabytkami. p. 73. ISBN 83-906629-9-X.
  13. ^ Łoziński, Jerzy; Rottermund, Andrzej (1993). Katalog zabytków sztuki. Miasto Warszawa. Część I – Stare Miasto [A Catalogue of Art Objects: The city of Warsaw. Part I.] (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Artystyczna i Filmowe. p. 409. ISBN 83-221-0628-9.
  14. ^ Kołodziejczyk, Ryszard (1970). Warszawa. Rozwój miasta w Polsce Ludowej [Warsaw: The Development of the City During the Polish People's Republic] (in Polish). Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. p. 65.
  15. ^ Górski, Jan (1976). Warszawa 1945 [Warsaw 1945] (in Polish). Warsaw: Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy. p. 197–198.
  16. ^ Górski, Jan (1988). Warszawa w latach 1944–1949. Odbudowa [Warsaw in the Years 1944–1949: Reconstruction] (in Polish). Warsaw: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe. p. 420. ISBN 83-01-05901-X.
  17. ^ "MAZ-WAR" (PDF). nid.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  18. ^ Parchimowicz, Janusz (2003). Monety polskie [The Coins of Poland] (in Polish). Warsaw: Mennica Państwowa S.A. p. 201.
  19. ^ "Tablice na kolumnie Zygmunta". zapiecek.com. Retrieved 29 June 2008.
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